Discovery of "Immune Fog" That May Detect Lung Cancer Years Before Its Appearance
Amman2 min read
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A recent scientific study conducted by researchers from University College London has revealed an immune mechanism that may contribute to the development of lung cancer years before it is diagnosed, opening new horizons for early detection and prevention of the disease.
The study, published in the journal Nature, showed that the accumulation of a type of immune cells known as regulatory T cells (Tregs) may weaken the immune system's ability to detect and attack abnormal cells, allowing pre-cancerous lesions to develop into tumors.
Early indicators in the blood
The research team studied blood and tissue samples from long-term studies monitoring lung cancer, alongside experiments on mice, to understand the changes preceding the appearance of tumors.
The results showed that regulatory T cells gradually accumulate months or years before cancer develops, leading to the suppression of the activity of other immune cells, which may allow abnormal cells to evade immune surveillance. The researchers described this condition as "immune fog."
The results also indicated that measuring the levels of these cells in the blood could help in the future to identify individuals most at risk, or to monitor indicators associated with the early stages of the disease.
Promising results in experiments
The researchers found that a drug targeting specific immune mechanisms can limit the suppressive effect of regulatory T cells. In animal experiments, this intervention helped reduce the proportion of mice that developed lung tumors by half and prevented the formation of large tumors.
The researchers said these findings could pave the way for developing new intervention methods before pre-cancerous lesions turn into fully formed tumors.
This discovery comes within an emerging research field known as "cancer interception," which focuses on targeting processes that precede tumorigenesis, rather than waiting for cancer to appear and then treating it.
Despite the promising results, additional studies on humans are still needed to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed blood tests and to ensure the safety and efficacy of treatments before they can be used for lung cancer prevention or early detection.
